Conquering the Dark Past
by RedAuraGuard
Summary: All Ash Ketchum ever wanted from his friends was for them to at least support him on his journey to become a Pokémon Master. Was that too much to ask? Apparently it was; he is abandoned at his moment of greatest need- after his loss in the Unova League. Now he's out on a new, darker quest; one to show the world, and the traitors, that he will become a Master. (I don't own Pokémon!)


**Chapter 1: The End of Innocence**

**A/N: It has been too long, everyone! I hope you've been doing well! This new fanfic marks the start of (hopefully) improved writing on my part, and I hope it does its job.**

**Enjoy!**

"Six years… it's been six long years since that fateful day…"

The man muttering to the Pikachu on his shoulder looked down upon the peak of Mt. Silver, the mountainside known to be the most inhospitable in the world. The peak was constantly struck by blizzards, regardless of the seasons. The inside of the mountain was little better; Pokemon far stronger than what would be found elsewhere roamed the insides, devastating all but the strongest Trainers and their Pokemon. A few chose to train in groups at the base of the mountain, but no one would even consider training at the top of the mountain.

Except for one.

Driven by grief, anger, and most of all, betrayal, Ash Ketchum vowed he would become truly strong by any means necessary. Taking his Pokemon and some supplies, he hiked up the seemingly endless caverns of Mt. Silver. He could not do so quickly, however. The Pokemon did not take kindly to a human and foreign Pokemon intruding upon their homeland, and attacked them viciously. At first, the battles with these Pokemon were hard-fought. After the first few, they needed to rest for a day before being able to fight again. Time went on, and Ash and his Pokemon trained endlessly. The Trainer's loyal friends wanted to prove that they loved their friend and master by any means necessary. Eventually, after a year of intense struggling and hard work, they became the masters of the mountain. The one-indomitable peak of Mt. Silver finally had an inhabitant.

Ash shook with barely contained anger as he thought about that day. The day that he was betrayed; the day that his friends and even most of his Pokemon turned against him.

**Flashback**

** "Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Serperior, and the victor of the six-on-six battle is Trip of Nuvema Town, who shall move on to the semifinals of the Unova League!"**

** Ash stared in horror at the sight of his defeated partner. Pikachu, his first Pokemon, had been beaten by a rookie Trainer. Pikachu had proven himself time and again in battle, whether it was a Gym battle or another challenge. He had even beaten the Legendary titan, Regice! So what made them lose?**

** "You're pathetic," sneered Trip. He had recalled his Serperior and walked up to Ash. "Even after you claim that you've become a powerful Trainer, I still crushed you with such ease. Go back to the boonies where you belong." With that, he sauntered off to celebrate his victory.**

** The defeated Trainer glared at his rival's retreating form with an emotion he had never known before; hate. Who was he to judge him about his abilities as a Trainer? Ash could have used his strongest Pokemon in the battle to crush and humiliate Trip; Charizard, Sceptile, and Snorlax were just a few examples. Snorlax could have easily defeated Serperior, Unfezant, and Vanilluxe in his sleep, leaving the rest for Charizard to clean up. He told himself before that it would have been unfair; but now, thinking while stewing in anger over his rival's taunts, maybe he should have.**

** Pikachu stirred in his arms, and Ash's face softened. He hugged his starter gently, whispering, "I'm so sorry I let you down." Upon hearing that, the Electric-type shook his head frantically, smiled gently and cried out. Ash smiled; Pikachu didn't hold a grudge against him for the loss, and at the moment, that was all that mattered.**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** "Look, there's Pallet Town!" shouted Ash. Pikachu cooed happily, excited to see the other Pokemon again.**

** When Ash announced that he would be returning home, Iris and Cilan looked sad. They did not want to leave Unova yet; Cilan had to look after his home and Gym, while Iris was going to continue training. The three had shared a long goodbye, before Ash stepped onto the ship bound for Kanto.**

** Now they were back where their journey began once again, to start over. This time, however, Ash would be taking some of his older Pokemon with him. This time, they would win the next League they challenged. Pikachu and Ash vowed this as they walked down the familiar path to home.**

** Delia Ketchum was preparing a large meal; Professor Oak had told her that Ash would be returning soon, and she decided to get ready. The meal wasn't just for him; his other friends were waiting for him. They said that they had something to say, which made her wonder for a moment. What did they have to say? She dismissed the thought; she had to get ready for her son's return.**

** She put the finishing touches on the last part of the meal just as she heard a knock. Delia smiled; Ash had come home. Hurrying to the front door, she flung it open and quickly pulled her son into a massive hug.**

** "You're back!" she cried happily. She tightened her grip on her son. "I saw the Conference; you did great!"**

** "Hey mom," Ash said, straining slightly to get the words out. "It's great to see you too." When he got free, he frowned slightly. "Not really; I got beaten by a Trainer who was in his first year. That's kind of embarrassing."**

** Delia shrugged. "Well, you were using your newest Pokemon. Isn't that right? If you had used your strongest, then we all know who would have won." She smiled when she saw Ash relax; a mother always knew just how to comfort her child. "Now come on; all of your friends are waiting in the backyard for you!"**

** "Seriously? Everyone?" he asked. "Wow!" He hurried outside to see all of his friends waiting for him.**

** When he exited the house, he saw all of his old traveling companions waiting for him while sitting at a large table. **

** Max and May Maple both smiled widely upon seeing Ash again. Max saw Ash as his idol and role model after traveling with him through Hoenn. This respect increased greatly when he got over the fact that Ash had beaten his father in a Gym Battle. May remembered how Ash had taught her about being a Trainer, and how he had encouraged her when she decided she wanted to be a Coordinator. Both siblings continued to remember the fateful days when they met Ash Ketchum for the first time.**

** Gary Oak chuckled as he was suddenly struck by the memories of his former rival. Teasing and taunting him was fun back when they were still kids. As time went on, however, Gary began to respect Ash as a Trainer worthy of notice. After all, Ash beat his Blastoise in the Silver Conference with Charizard. Also, Ash was still concerned about him after the incident in the Viridian Gym, even though he was a pompous ass to Ash every time they crossed paths. That was impressive, to say the least.**

** Ash noticed Max, May and Gary looked extremely pleased to see him again; Max especially was excited to see him return. Something was off with his other friends, however; they all had serious expressions on their faces, as though they had bad news to deliver to him. He found it especially odd to see Drew and Kenny again; how come they were here? Ash shook it off, grinned widely, and said, "Hey, everyone! It's great to see you again!"**

** "Yeah!" shouted Max. "I saw your battle in the Conference; I personally thought you should have won! That guy had nothing on you! Were you taking it too easy on him? I bet you were!"**

** "Okay, Max," May chided gently, "I think he gets the point. Anyway, it's great to see you again, too." Ash blushed slightly as he saw her for the first time since the Wallace Cup.**

** Brock stood up as he faced Ash. His face was set in a rather cold frown, not the warm smile that Ash expected from one of his oldest friends. "Ash, there's something that we need to tell you."**

** "Hmm? What is it?"**

** Misty scowled as she turned towards Ash. "I'll tell him the truth. Let's face it; you're not cut out for this. You suck as a Trainer."**

** Ash's head whipped sharply to face the Coordinator. "What did you just say?" Pikachu suddenly bristled, sparks flying out of his cheek pouches.**

** Delia had just walked out of the house holding several large dishes, but dropped them with a crash upon hearing what he said. "What?!"**

** "Ash, you need to stop leading your Pokemon on a road to nowhere!" Dawn said angrily. "Every Conference that you've participated in, you lost! You tell us that just loving our Pokemon is the only thing that we need to do, but that's not true! You don't train, you don't work hard enough. Face it; you need to stop while you can!"**

** The Trainer was horrified; almost everyone in the backyard was agreeing with them. They were… all betraying him. Turning on him like he was a rabid Zangoose. Fortunately, not everyone did.**

** "What are you talking about?!" yelled Max. "He's an awesome Trainer! Why are you turning against him like this?!"**

** "Max, you need to calm down," Brock said firmly. "He's not a good role model for you; try looking up to Trip instead." He pointed to the tan-haired Trainer, who had just appeared from the side of the house. Upon seeing his rival, Ash realized what had happened; Trip had turned his friends against him. Winning in the Conference hadn't been enough for Trip; he had to take it one step further just to rub it in.**

** "Looks like your friends see you for what you are; a failure," Trip taunted. "It's about time, too; your lack of skill was beginning to affect even me."**

** "Look up to him?!" Max couldn't even imagine supporting someone with such arrogance. "I heard what he said in the Conference! Looking up to someone like that? No way!"**

** "Well, he beat Ash," Kenny retorted. "Ash is just holding us back, whereas Trip is gonna help us!"**

** Gary growled and stormed over to Ash's side. "Is that so? Well, maybe it's a good thing that you're against him. Maybe you've just been holding him back!"**

** "Yeah! He'll do far better without you pulling him down like a Lileep!" snapped Ash's mother. How dare they betray the one who had brought them so far? No one in the backyard would have gotten as far as they did without Ash being there for them. She was grateful that at least some of them were using their brains and siding with Ash.**

** "He's been the one yanking us down!" retorted Brock. "I would have a date by now without him or that brat Max!"**

** "Don't talk about my brother that way!" shouted May, holding Max tightly. "It's your own fault that you're a pervert! You really think that anyone would be your girlfriend, especially with how you talk?!"**

** "If he's such a saint when it comes to training, then why are his Pokemon siding with us?" snapped Kenny. He and the other traitors tossed up a multitude of Pokeballs.**

** Ash's eyes rose in horror. He saw so many of his Pokemon come out of their Pokeballs and glare at Ash. Corphish, Muk, Kingler, and so many others… Why would they turn on him? Maybe his less loyal "friends", but his Pokemon? He was a good Trainer, wasn't he? Sure, his battling record wasn't the best, but he only wanted the best for his Pokemon.**

** Trip sneered yet again, a facial expression that made Ash want to punch him with metal-studded gloves. "Give it up, Ash. You suck at everything you do, and you'll never succeed!"**

** Delia scowled; an expression that normally never marred her face. "You have the nerve to say that about my son?! How dare you!"**

** "We'll say what we want about that failure," Drew spat.**

** "SHUT UP!"**

** The roar came from Ash himself, who had finally spoken up. Everyone jumped from hearing the normally cheerful boy explode like that. "You all think I'm a failure, huh?! Then what about you?! What makes you think you're suddenly the greatest in the world?!"**

** "Brock, I'm surprised you didn't get arrested for harassing every Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny we met! That's all you've done while traveling; flirt! In fact, I wish you did get arrested! Misty, you just followed me through Kanto because of a charred bike! You put me down every other minute, complained every second, and drove me nuts! Dawn, you were always just scatter-brained and annoying while in Sinnoh! The entire time, you were a brat about every tiny thing that you could find wrong, like Misty!"**

** "Drew, you were an arrogant jerk towards May! A few victories over someone who had recently started Contests don't make you Top Coordinator! Kenny, you were just as bad; you thought you were the best, and ticked off everyone around you!"**

** "Trip, you were the worst of them all. You only beat me in Nuvema Town because Pikachu lost all of his energy to Zekrom! Pikachu was not weak; YOU were! Every time we crossed paths, you'd only insult my home region and me! Well, try going through this region's Gyms! You'd beat Misty and Brock, but there's no way you'd defeat anyone else! To top it off, you were arrogant about your battling skills, when you were only a Trainer for a year! If I had used any other Pokemon but my Unova team, all of whom were completely new, you would have fallen immediately! But then again, they betrayed me too. They're all worthless, like you."**

** He turned towards the traitorous group with a terrible gaze; one that had never shown itself on his face in his entire life. "I saved the world over and over again, and saved your lives throughout my journey without a care about my own safety. THIS is how you repay me? By siding with that… rookie over there?!" It was getting exponentially harder to keep his language clean for Max's sake, but he was trying. "Maybe you deserve each other; a bunch of should-be failures who just leeched off me." His starter nodded angrily, giving a steely glare at each and every one of his partner's former friends.**

** Drew snorted. "We're not failures; look who's the one who lost in every League he participated in!"**

** "Yeah!" Dawn put in. "Trip is way stronger than you, no matter how you look at it!"**

** "Let's get out of here," Brock sneered. "I'm starting to feel the stupidity seeping everywhere." The others nodded, recalled Ash's former Pokemon, and left the property. Pikachu was barely resisting the urge to shock all of them into a coma or worse. Instead, he ran to his Trainer's side.**

** Ash fell to his knees when they were out of sight; the shock of betrayal was beginning to settle. What had he done to them? What could have possibly justified them spitting on their years of friendship like that? And it was all to side with some arrogant bastard who thought that he was the best in the world…**

** "Ash?" his mother asked quietly. "You know we're here for you, right?"**

** He nodded blankly, and staggered to his feet. Gary rushed over to help him. "Whoa there, Ashy-boy." It was a sign of his worry that he didn't have even a bit of teasing or playfulness in using the nickname. "Take it easy; not all of your Pokemon betrayed you."**

** "I know," mumbled Ash as he got up and nodded in thanks. "I didn't see Sceptile, Infernape, and some of the others with those… traitors. Charizard's in the Charcific Valley, and he won't turn. But why… what did I do?"**

** "You didn't do anything!" May said firmly. "They're just idiots. Don't listen to their lies; you'll be a Pokemon Master! Besides, giving up would just be proving them right, isn't that true?"**

** His eyes shone with a burning fire. "Yeah, you're right." He stood fully erect, his back straight and his face furious. "They'll regret ever turning against me!"**

** Delia smiled. "That's the spirit, Ash! We'll be here to support you through thick and thin, no matter what happens." She knew that he was seriously wounded, though; he was just putting on a brave face. "Maybe eating something will help you? It's been… really tiring for you."**

** He smiled. "Yeah, that would help. Thanks, mom."**

** "No problem, sweetie!" With that, she hurried into the kitchen to re-make the dish she had dropped.**

** "I'll go help her," Gary said. "Keep your chin up, Ash." Ash's eyes widened as Gary retreated into the house; he had said just his name; no nicknames.**

** He noticed that Max looked bothered about something. "Max, you okay?"**

** "Not really," he said. Max's eyes looked plagued with guilt. "Ash, answer me honestly. Have I… been holding you back too?"**

** May's eyes widened. "Max!"**

** "I mean, look at how we met at first! I was commenting about how I would have done better than you if I was in your place in the Silver Conference when you came to the Gym. Then later, I lost it and stole the Badge from you when you beat Dad. On top of that, I really didn't have anything to contribute to our group. I wasn't even a Trainer back then. So just tell me truthfully; have I held you back?" By the time he had finished speaking, a small tear had formed in his eye.**

** Ash looked shocked; did Max really feel that way about himself? He knelt down to look Max in the eyes and grasped his shoulders. "Don't say that about yourself. Sure, we didn't start off the best of friends, but you're one of the reasons Hoenn was one of my favorite regions. Whenever I was feeling down, or anytime in general, you'd be there to cheer me up and make me laugh. To be honest, you're probably the only reason we didn't get carted off for Brock's… perversions. You were the younger brother that I never had."**

** "You- you mean it?" the younger boy stammered. "Even after-"**

** Ash put a hand over Max's mouth and nodded. "Every word of it. So don't beat yourself up over the past; you showed you're a real friend, and that's what counts. I'd rather have you on a journey with me than every Legendary in the world." He pulled his youngest friend into a hug, which Max returned tightly. May smiled at the sight; it was heartwarming to know that Ash saw her little brother as his own brother too. When they separated, the Trainer had an idea. "Max, how would you like to get a special Pokemon for a starter?"**

** "Huh?"**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** Ash smiled as he reached into his bag and pulled out a strange Pokeball. It had the normal white bottom, but instead of the red top and white bottom, both halves had the color of polished platinum. The top of the Pokeball also had two golden semicircles on the sides, and had a crystalline blue line separating the halves.**

** "This is a Premiere Ball," the Trainer informed his friend. "It's obviously not like normal ones, though; it's custom-made and was ordered for a very special occasion. The Pokemon inside was caught in this Pokeball because it's the first one in the world to be discovered with **_**two **_**abilities. I'm sure the two of you will be a perfect match." Ash gently placed the Pokeball in the new Trainer's hands. "Oh, and it's not going to break or anything if you toss it up to send out the Pokemon within. This Pokeball is actually more durable than any other, except for the Heavy Ball."**

** Max's hands were shaking slightly as he carefully cradled the Pokeball. "It's… perfect. There's no other way to describe it." Pure gratitude shined from his expression.**

** "Open it," Ash prompted. "The Pokemon inside should be quite familiar to you."**

** Slowly, almost timidly, the young boy tossed up the capsule to show the Pokemon within. He noticed that the ball's blue center glowed with light as it opened and released its passenger with a bright flash.**

** The small Pokemon shook itself as it was released from its containment. The tufts of fur on its sides were the same shade of yellow as the tuft of fur on its head. Its legs and beak were a tan color, and the rest of its body was orange. Dark blue eyes shined with intelligence as it looked at the one holding its Pokeball.**

** "It's a Torchic!" May squealed. "It's so cute, just like mine was!"**

** Max looked at his new friend with awestruck eyes. He got onto one knee and opened his arms, into which the Torchic eagerly ran into. The boy smiled, and said, "Hi, I'm Max! Do you want to come with me on my journey?" The Fire-type nodded eagerly. "Great! It's going to be awesome having you with me! We're going to be really strong and be known as some of the best!"**

** Torchic chirped happily, snuggling into Max's chest. He laughed as he hugged his starter, before turning towards Ash. "Thank you so much! He's the best gift ever!" A thought struck him. "Umm, is Torchic a male or female?"**

** "He's a male," replied Ash. "By the way, you know how I mentioned that he had two abilities? Well, those abilities are Blaze and Speed Boost. You know what both are, but they both give Torchic the potential to be the best of his breed. I'm sure you'll have an amazing journey!"**

** "We will! We'll make you proud and become strong enough to give you a real challenge someday!" declared Max. He was cheery once again, and that was enough to start soothing the pain from Ash's torn-up heart.**

** May looked at Ash fondly, also thankful for Ash's gift towards her brother. "Come on, I'm sure your mom and Gary are done by now."**

** "Sounds good. Let's eat!"**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** "Thanks mom, I really appreciate it. You too, Gary."**

** "No problem, Ashy-boy. I'm just glad you're starting to feel better."**

** "Anytime, dear!"**

** After sharing a large meal with his mother and friends, Ash leaned back in his chair. Eating home cooking again also helped him deal with his anger, but he could still feel the fire gnawing at every pore of his body. What really alarmed him, however, was that Pikachu didn't even eat touch the bottles of ketchup on the table. Clearly the Electric-type was still feeling the rage of the betrayal as well.**

** "What are you going to do now, Ash?" asked Gary. "Staying here won't let you grow enough as a Trainer, and we know that you can prove them wrong."**

** The Trainer looked at the others at the table. These friends and family were the only ones, aside from Professor Oak, whom he felt he could trust. They stood by him as his former friends and Pokemon abandoned him in his time of need. Someday, he would repay them for their kindness and loyalty. But not now. Now, he needed to train, and there was only one place that could provide the training required. Ash had been there once; to drop off the baby Larvitar to his home and his mother. He opened his mouth, and said:**

** "I'm going to Mt. Silver."**

** Gary sputtered; he had not expected that answer. "WHAT?! Are you crazy?! That place is suicide! Don't you know the stories of that terrible mountain?"**

** May nearly stopped breathing for several moments. "Are you sure absolutely about this? That you can train there and come back alive? Some of the world's most famous Trainers die there! Even the Champions fear to go there!"**

** "But Ash can do it!" argued Max. "Can't he?" Pikachu nodded in agreement; it was clear that the electric mouse would go wherever Ash did. Whether it was Mt. Silver, the Distortion World, or against a Legendary (again), Pikachu would stay by his friend's side.**

** Delia shook in fright; her son was saying that he wanted to train in the most dangerous mountain range in the entire world? "Honey, is there any way that we can convince you to train elsewhere? Like under a Champion? I'm sure any of them will be more than willing, after what you've done for the world. Right?" There was a slight hitch in her voice from the worry for her child.**

** Ash thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this has to be done. If there were any other way, I would take it. But the Champions are too busy to be bothered with training me; they have responsibilities towards their regions. There's a reason why they almost never take apprentices; they're simply too busy. This is the only option."**

** Everyone looked down, not knowing how else to try and convince Ash to take another course of action. Finally, Gary stood up. "If you're set in stone about this, then we need to talk to Gramps. Only he can give you permission to enter Mt. Silver."**

** "All right. Let's go."**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** "WHAT?! You want to go to Mt. Silver?!" the Professor cried. His jaw had dropped like a rock upon hearing the news. "I didn't train there in my glory days as a Trainer, and neither did any of the Elites I know! Even Agatha didn't attempt to spite me by trying!"**

** "I understand the risks," Ash argued. "But I made up my mind. With your permission, I will try it."**

** Professor Oak had tried to convince Ash for half an hour to attempt anything else. He offered to train Ash himself, but the Trainer said that the Professor was too busy to be able to do so properly. Oak also suggested Mt. Hideaway, Mt. Coronet, and many other places where powerful Trainers had trained. Ash had said no to all of them.**

** Finally, the old Professor knew when he was defeated. "Oh… very well. I'll update your Pokedex to give you permission to enter Mt. Silver. But answer me this, and please answer truthfully. Is it really worth risking your life and the lives of all of your Pokemon to train there, and is this just to spite your former friends?"**

** Ash was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. He knew that the Professor, along with his mother and his real friends, only meant the best for him. They were just worried about his safety, and with good reason. But innocent safety was a thing of the past. It was time to train seriously.**

** "I won't lie to you, Professor. Part of me is telling me to train there to spite… them." A venomous edge crept in his voice upon mention of the traitors. "To prove them wrong, to prove to them that I can make it as a true Trainer. But that is not the only reason. Through my five years of training, I did the best I could with my Pokemon. I raised them with love and care, made sure they never went hungry, and trained them as best as I could. But we need to train harder. We have the experience with battling, but it's power and experience in other fields that we lack. Especially when we eventually battle against the true elite Trainers. I'll talk it over with my loyal Pokemon, and I'll only take the volunteers. The rest I'll leave with you, and I won't hold a grudge against them. They remained true to me, after all."**

** Professor Oak sighed; it was no good trying to dissuade Ash. "All right. I'll take you to your Pokemon."**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** Ash could barely believe how few were left. He knew that so many of them had left, but this many? Still, the few that remained, he knew, would follow him to the ends of the earth.**

** Sceptile rested against a tree, whose face still bore a scowl from the folly of the other traitors. Ash had proven to him, when he was a Treecko, that he was a Trainer worthy to catch and train him. Even back then, Sceptile had an indomitable spirit to grow strong. Without Ash's constant encouragement, he would never have grown to be the strong fighter he was today. It was Ash who restored Sceptile's fighting spirit and his ability to use attacks when his heart was broken by Meganium. It was Ash who had directed them to such a high spot in the Ever Grande Conference despite their youth. And it was Ash who had brought him to victory over the **_**legendary Darkrai. **_**No other Pokemon in the entire Lily of the Valley Conference, or any other Pokemon as far as he was aware, had performed such an accomplishment. Who was he to think of Ash as a bad Trainer? Ash had done his best, and always treated them with unconditional love. Never would Sceptile think of his Trainer as weak or a fool, and never would he turn his back on his human friend.**

** Bayleef was lying on the grass, eyes shut and breathing heavily from barely contained anger. As a Chikorita, she had done her best to please her Trainer, and continued to do so as a Bayleef. She had a minor crush on her Trainer as a young Pokemon, but that attraction changed to simply a little more affection towards Ash than most of his other Pokemon. Despite her lack of ability to evolve into a Meganium for personal reasons, he had not left her in the cold. No, instead he encouraged her, congratulated her when she won, and consoled her gently when she lost. She had even beaten a well-trained Houndoom thanks to him, when any other Bayleef would have fallen in a minute at most. Depsite her overwhelming anger during the betrayal, she had maintained her cool and composed self. Revenge and lashing out would only prove the traitors right, and she wanted to make her Trainer proud above all else. She felt that he wouldn't approve if she attacked, and so just tried to persuade the traitors to change their minds and, when they didn't, ignored them.**

** Infernape, on the other hand, had not done such a good job with self-control, if the destroyed and smoking boulders were anything to refer to. He was trying (and failing) to calm himself by pacing around while flaring up once in a while. He remembered how Paul had treated him, with harsh words and even harsher training. Not once did the other Trainer ever let up, even when Infernape- back when he was a Chimchar- fell over in exhaustion. Then Ash entered his life. When Paul released the Fire-type, Ash had taken Chimchar in. The Trainer did his best to help Chimchar grow in a kind and caring way, which allowed the young Fire-type to gain dominance over his once-uncontrollable ability; Blaze. Ash had guided him to victory over his former master Paul in the Lily of the Valley Conference, and for that alone Infernape would be forever grateful. But that wasn't all; Ash had, never, not once, berated him for anything. Paul wouldn't say anything positive if Chimchar won a battle; sometimes he would even continue to rebuke him. When he lost, Paul would shout at him harshly and punish him during training. Despite the outcome of the battles, Ash congratulated him for a great performance and thanked him for all of his effort. Even when he had wounded Ash in his Blaze-fueled rages, Ash was never angry; he was just glad when Infernape regained control over himself. When the time came and the other Pokemon turned against Ash, Snorlax and Sceptile had to restrain Infernape from tearing the others limb from limb for their treason, while Squirtle had to put out the fires to stop Professor Oak's lab from burning down. Now he awaited his Trainer's return to show that they, the few real Pokemon among the many fools, were true and loyal to whatever end.**

** For the first time Ash had ever seen, Snorlax was actually **_**ignoring **_**the massive berry trees in the Corral while awake. The Sleeping Pokemon regularly consumed massive amounts of food, and enjoyed sleeping to the point where Ash sometimes lacked his power when he needed it. But the Trainer was okay with that; he saw that Snorlax had his limitations, like every other being in the world. Ash made sure that Snorlax was well-fed by bringing him to Professor Oak for care. He also made sure that the Normal-type got much-needed exercise with competitions like the wrestling matches in Johto, and the Battle Arena in Kanto. Even then, Ash wouldn't force him to battle. Snorlax knew that Ash couldn't use him all the time; the Trainer had other Pokemon to raise, and it wouldn't be fair to use him against the weaker Trainers Ash fought often. So when the time came to make a choice, Snorlax chose to have faith. It wasn't Ash's fault that he had done his best to care for them all; it was the traitors' fault for not being patient or understanding.**

** Bulbasaur just looked sad; seeing so many of his former companions turn against their Trainer was sickening. The Grass-type remembered his time in the Hidden Village, where Melanie looked after so many sick and injured Pokemon. At first, Bulbasaur thought Ash was just another abusive and terrible Trainer. He proved the Pokemon wrong with how he treated the timid Pokemon and how he defeated Team Rocket. Bulbasaur didn't want to evolve; the idea simply scared him. Most Trainers would dismiss the idea as weak and release him. Ash, on the other hand, continued to love him and use him in battles despite this. The duel with the Solrock in the Battle Frontier was one of the greatest examples. How could he betray his closest friend, the one who would save any Pokemon in need and had become his Trainer?**

** Squirtle reflected Bulbasaur's expression, except with an angrier one. Ash had risked his life to save Squirtle from Team Rocket's bombs, despite what he and his Squirtle Squad had done to the Trainer. The Water-type didn't want to evolve either, and Ash had continued to respect that. Squirtle had gotten to battle in the Indigo Conference and show off his skill even as an unevolved Pokemon. He had answered the call during the battle against the fearsome Frontier Brain Brandon and his lightning-fast Ninjask, and performed extremely well. On top of that, Ash didn't force him to battle all the time for the sake of winning. Instead, Ash recognized that the old Squad- now firefighters- needed him, and allowed him to come and go as he needed to. Now, it was time to repay the favor.**

** "Everyone!" Oak announced, seeing the despondence and anger etched on their faces. "Ash is here again!"**

** Upon hearing that, all of the loyal Pokemon suddenly sprinted towards their Trainer, eager to see him again. Sceptile picked up Squirtle and Bulbasaur along the way to help them. They could all see that Ash was seriously wounded by the betrayal, though he tried to put a brave face on. Likewise, Pikachu had a smile, but his drooping ears told the truth.**

** "Hey everyone," said Ash, trying to smile. "I'm so glad that you all-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, as all of his Pokemon rushed in for a massive group hug. Bulbasaur and Squirtle rushed into his arms, Bayleef nuzzled against him (resisting the urge to give the usual Body Slam greeting), Infernape and Sceptile embraced the small group, and Snorlax hugged the rest of them. His idea of a hug, however, nearly meant crushing them all.**

** When they finally got untangled from the massive Normal-type's weight, Ash faced them all with a serious expression. "Everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart for staying loyal towards not just me, but the dream we all share. When the others turned against me, you all remembered the times and experiences we shared. I will always remember that. Now, I must ask you all something very important."**

** "I intend to train on Mt. Silver, the most inhospitable mountain range in the entire world." Ash was surprised to see his Pokemon shocked; so even they knew of the fearsome place. "I know that it will be dangerous, with terrible Pokemon and even worse weather. But that is why I am telling you this now. If anyone wants to back out, I will not blame you. This is a lot to ask of anyone. I won't think of you as cowards; you proved your bravery and loyalty during the betrayal. Nor will I forget you; I will send correspondence from Mt. Silver whenever I can. So tell me; who's willing to take this risk and train there?"**

** All of Ash's Pokemon didn't hesitate with their answer; they nodded resolutely, showing that they would not falter under the challenge. They would train wherever they had to in order to prove the traitors wrong; that they would be the best under Ash's instruction.**

** The Trainer's eyes watered at the display. Loyalty during the betrayal was one thing, but to willingly follow him to such a dangerous place? He wiped away the few tears that threatened to leak out and said, "Thank you." The simple sentence seemed to unite them into their own tightly knit group.**

** As they proceeded towards the Lab once again, Ash remembered to tell his Pokemon something important. "Guys, not everyone betrayed me. Max, May and Gary all sided with us, so please don't attack them. They don't deserve that."**

** It was a good thing that he told them this; had he forgotten, then Infernape or one of the others might have done something extremely rash in blind anger. Sceptile in particular was relieved that the siblings retained their senses; he liked them. They were both cheerful and made the Hoenn journey more fun outside of battles. Even if May's cooking was lethal, the Maple siblings always supported them and cheered them on. Except in the battle against Norman, but that was against their father, so that was understandable.**

** "I have Charizard's Pokeball here," Professor Oak said when Ash returned. He was holding the familiar Pokeball in his hand, which he returned to its rightful owner. "Lisa was shocked to hear what had happened, Charla more so, but Charizard destroyed a large boulder in ten seconds at most because of his anger. I saw him do it. He would have done more, but he knows that you need him to be calm." The Professor chuckled grimly, imagining what would happen to Ash's former friends when Charizard got his say in. "Charizard's already agreed to go to Mt. Silver with you, Ash. It doesn't look like he wants to stay behind."**

** Max, May and Gary all looked at the Pokemon with slight apprehension. All of them looked angry beyond belief, and they wondered if any of them would attack.**

** Sceptile, noticing this, walked over to the siblings and placed a hand on their shoulders. The glint in his eyes told Max and May that none of the others thought of them as traitors, which greatly relieved them. The Grass-type nodded towards Gary and extended the same message towards him.**

** The sight made Ash smile; when he returned, he was sure that Sceptile would enjoy battling them in the future. Then he remembered that he still had Charizard's Pokeball in his hands; Ash tossed the capsule up to release one of his oldest friends.**

** The massive Fire-type Pokemon roared fiercely upon release, the sound echoing multiple times throughout the field. Charizard had clearly kept up with training in the Valley, as he was slightly larger and clearly stronger than before. His large black eyes swept the surrounding area, looking at all of the loyal Pokemon. He nodded a greeting towards them, before he set his eyes on the Trainer before him.**

** Ash was swept up into a massive hug from one of his strongest team members. Charizard swung him around happily, overjoyed to see that his Trainer was safe and sound; that none of the **_**traitors **_**did anything to him. Just thinking about Ash's former friends made his tail flame flare up in anger. Charizard would never forget what Ash had done for him; in fact, he would tear his wings off his own back before he betrayed his Trainer. As a Charmander, Charizard was far weaker than most of his species, and so did not win as many battles as his former Trainer Damien wanted. Damien had left Charmander on a rock and told him that he would be back, when in reality Damien had never intended to return. When Ash had heard about this, he had rushed over to Charmander and defended the Fire-type from the attacking Spearow with Pikachu, getting shocked in the process. And when he saw the flame on Charmander's tail almost out, he used his own coat to shield the tiny flame from further harm in the rain.**

** Charmander had worked hard for Ash initially, taking on many of the opponents that would have defeated the others on the team and winning. When he evolved into Charmeleon, for some reason he lost his respect for Ash. Charmeleon wouldn't obey commands, and simply napped or roasted his Trainer. This behavior continued for a long time after he evolved again into a Charizard to beat Aerodactyl for a battle of egos. The Fire-type was still ashamed of his behavior to this day, especially when he remembered the important battles that he could have won had he obeyed. When Charizard was defeated by the boy with the Poliwrath, he was nearly dead from the shock of the Ice Beam and from the Water Gun's damage to his tail flame. Ash had worked through the entire night to warm up Charizard and save his life, despite what he had done to the Trainer. The Fire-type was responsible for Ash's humiliating loss in the Indigo Conference, and yet here he was saving Charizard's life. Why would someone exhaust themselves throughout an entire night for a disobedient and foolish Pokemon?**

** The reason was simple; Ash never gave up on Charizard. Even after suffering humiliating failures and third-degree burns at the hands of Charizard, the pure-hearted boy still loved him and cared for his safety. It took a near-death experience for Charizard to remember this, and when he arose he felt all of the old loyalty return.**

** When he started listening to Ash again, they made an unstoppable team, easily crushing every bit of the opposition they had fought. Granted, it wasn't as though most of the battles were hard. That one girl- Casey, if he remembered correctly- lost because Charizard had breathed on the Pidgey, bounced the Rattata off of his belly, and roasted the Chikorita with a Flamethrower. The only noteworthy one he could recall was against the Pidgeot in Johto, and even then he didn't feel as though there was a chance he would lose. He felt invincible.**

** Until he went to the Charicific Valley. There, he met many Charizard much larger and stronger than him, and every one of them had crushed him when he challenged them. And it was that place that inspired Charizard to train there and grow strong. Ash could have made him continue their traveling journey in Johto and remain indomitable, but instead he saw what it was that Charizard wanted. Though it saddened the Trainer badly, he allowed Charizard to remain behind and train in the Valley to become the strongest.**

** Just because Charizard trained in the Valley didn't mean that Ash forgot about him. When it came down to his most difficult fights, the Trainer always called upon Charizard's might- rightfully, in the Fire-type's opinion. He had achieved so many victories against so many powerful Pokemon- Golem, Blastoise, and even an Articuno. The first two were not only well-trained, but had such an obvious type-advantage that no one would ever think any Charizard had a chance. The last one was a **_**Legendary **_**Pokemon, and was a fierce challenge despite its type disadvantage. In the Orange Islands, Charizard had helped to save the world from the wrath of the elemental birds, and had even stopped the deadly Moltres' Flamethrower with his own; this was before he began training seriously with the other Charizard. Few other Charizard, if any, could boast similar claims to what he had done, and that was all thanks to that kind and brave Trainer- who, above all others, had proved that he was the most worthy to be Charizard's friend and master.**

** When he had heard that his former friends and Pokemon abandoned Ash, Charizard was more than outraged. How dare they turn their backs on the one who had brought so many to success, who risked his life to save their own almost weekly? He almost lost his mind for a moment in the sheer anger that had swamped over him upon receiving the news. When Charla soothed his ire- she seemed to be the only one who could do it in extreme situations, save for Ash-, Charizard rushed into his Pokeball to be transported to Ash. His Trainer needed him now more than ever.**

** "It's great to see you too, Charizard! You're looking stronger than ever!" complimented Ash. Likewise, he was just as glad as his teammates to see the massive Fire-type again. They would need Charizard's strength to conquer the challenges ahead.**

** Charizard growled happily, before his eyes locked onto Gary and the Maple siblings. Not knowing that they had stuck by Ash, Charizard bellowed furiously at them, prompting Gary to defend them by sending out Blastoise and all three humans to back away hastily. No matter, the Water-type would fall just like it did in the Silver Conference. White-hot fire swirled in his mouth, as he prepared to deliver the Flamethrower that would annihilate the traitors.**

** "STOP!" Ash cried in a panic. The flames burning in Charizard's mouth died down in surprise. Why was he defending the ones who wounded him so? The Trainer ran over to the others. "They didn't betray me! They sided with us! Don't attack them!"**

** Charizard raised an eyebrow, prompting the Trainer to say, "It's true!" Finally, the Fire-type relaxed. His furious wings were no longer beating with such intensity, and the rock-melting glare in his eyes softened. When he had fully calmed himself, Charizard gave a soft growl to Ash's friends- an apology for nearly attacking them. Blastoise nodded, and retracted the cannons sprouting from its shell.**

** The humans sighed in relief; they were safe from being roasted alive. Gary was the first to regain his voice. "Well, I'm glad not to be fried."**

** Delia exhaled a breath and realized that she had been holding her breath; she was terrified for the others when she saw Charizard about to attack. "Thank goodness! I nearly had a heart attack."**

** Professor Oak turned towards Ash. The Trainer noticed that he old man had relaxed his arm when Charizard calmed, which made him guess that Oak would have sent Dragonite to defend his friends had he failed to calm Charizard. "Ash, your Pokedex is updated with my permission to enter Mt. Silver. When are you going to depart?"**

** Ash looked down; it was time. "If I put this off any longer, I won't be able to go. I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now."**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

** The entire group was standing on the outskirts of Pallet Town to see Ash off. All of Ash's Pokemon had been recalled, save for Pikachu and Charizard. Pikachu obviously hated his Pokeball and never went into it. Charizard was needed to fly to Mt. Silver.**

** Ash hated the necessity to leave his friends and family to train, but he knew it was unavoidable. Max and May weren't nearly strong enough to even consider the idea- Max had literally just gotten his first Pokemon that day, and May was a Coordinator-, Gary and Professor Oak were too busy with their research, and his mother wasn't even a Trainer.**

** "Are you all packed, dear?" Delia asked. "Clothes, food, and other supplies?"**

** The Trainer nodded. "Yeah, I'm all set to go."**

** His mother smiled sadly, and pulled her son into one last embrace. He returned it the best he could; she was nearly strangling him. When she let go, she said, "And don't forget to-"**

** "Change my underwear?" Ash grinned. "I won't forget."**

** This time, Delia's smile was genuine. "Good. Now, always remember that you can come home at any time. Okay?"**

** "Okay, Mom," said her son solemnly. "I'll send letters home when I can. I might need to catch a Psychic-type and train it for a long time, but I need to amplify my team ranks anyway."**

** Ash turned to Max, May, and Gary. "Again, thank you all for not siding with those traitors. Believe me; I appreciate it with all of my being."**

** Max grinned. "Well, you've always been there for us. Of course we'd side with you."**

** "Yeah, we're not stupid," Gary commented. "I might've drove you nuts way back when we were newbie Trainers and before, but I never hated you."**

** "You taught Max and me so many things about Pokemon," May said seriously. "We should be thanking you."**

** Ash reached into his bag one more time and pulled out three strange bands; one blue band and two red bands. Each had a small spherical crystal embedded on them, and said crystal was the same color as the band that they were on. "I've got one more thing for each of you. Put these on, and let me explain."**

** He tossed the blue band to Gary and one of the red bands to May, but he personally walked up to Max and put the other red band on for him; a sign of affection for his friend who he also saw as a little brother. "These are called Mega Stones. How they work is really not that complicated, so here's how to use them."**

** "Each kind of Mega Stone will only work for a single kind of Pokemon, and you need to have a very tight bond with that Pokemon for it to work. The Stones are set for specific species; Gary, yours is for Blastoise. May, Max, yours are for Blaziken. In the essentials, when you have that Pokemon out in battle and you trust each other completely, just press your hand on the crystal."**

** "The Pokemon will essentially evolve again for the duration of the battle. They will change physically for as long as they are Mega-evolved, they get a massive power boost, and they even gain new abilities. Gary, your Blastoise will have his pulse-based and sphere-based attacks boosted, like Flash Cannon and Hydro Cannon. May, your Blaziken will have the ability Speed Boost, like Max's Torchic. Max, when Torchic evolves, it will retain both abilities when it Mega-evolves. You'll know when you're close enough in sync with your Pokemon when the crystal glows. That's when you can Mega-Evolve. Pretty cool, right?"**

** By the end of Ash's explanation, the three were speechless. This was a priceless gift; how had get gotten one, let alone three? And was he really giving these Mega Stones to them? Just because they had only done what any other real friend would do?**

** May found some words to say before the others. "Wow… it's beyond belief… Blaziken can evolve again? Thank you, Ash… I don't know what else to say…" She was awestruck at his pure generosity and selflessness of the gift; **_**well, that's Ash for you.**_

** "Whoa, that's amazing! Thanks, Ash!" Max cried happily. He was admiring the band in the fading sunlight, noticing how the center seemed to glimmer a little more than the rest of the jewel.**

** "Where did you learn all of this, Ashy-boy? About- what was it called- Mega-Evolution? And where did you get the Torchic?" Gary asked. He couldn't stop staring at the mysterious source of new power for his starter. Perhaps… **_**maybe I should get back into battling. Not traveling around like before, but I'll get back to training seriously.**_

** "Sorry, but I can't tell you," replied Ash. "Believe me; I don't want to keep secrets. But the person who gave me the bands- and Torchic-" Max smiled at the mention of his starter, "made me swear that I would not tell anyone about where I found this out unless I was given permission. Someday I'll be able to tell you, just like how I will repay you all for your faithfulness."**

** "Repay us?" said May. "Ash, you've already done so much for us! You gave Max his first Pokemon, and you've been the guide to my success in Contests! If we hadn't met you then we would have never come this far! There's nothing you need to reward us for!"**

** "Perhaps," said the Trainer, chuckling. "But I want to." With that, he mounted his Charizard, who roared before taking off towards the sky. His wings beat effortlessly as he propelled himself and his passengers into the air to confront their biggest challenge yet.**

** "Ash!" Delia cried one more time. "Be safe! You'll be the best Pokemon Master in the world!"**

** "Yeah!" the siblings shouted. "You can do it!"**

** "We got your back, Ashy-boy!" Gary shouted over the beating wings. "Don't forget it!"**

** "If you need any help, don't hesitate to come to me!" Professor Oak called. **

** "Thanks, everyone! We'll see each other again, I promise!" As he ascended, he waved one more tearful goodbye to his friends and family; he would not see them again for many years to come. Though it broke his heart a thousand times over to do so, he needed to make up for the lost years of lack of real training. **

** Delia Ketchum was wiping away tears as she waved to her son. Even after being betrayed so harshly, he still had the will to continue fighting. **_**Please… be safe, Ash. And come back soon!**_

** Gary and Professor Oak both looked at the ascending figure with newfound respect. Neither of them could believe that Ash was willing to take such a big risk. Neither of them would. But then again, Ash always did defy the odds whenever they were against him.**

** May felt water on her cheeks, and realized that she was crying. **_**He's going away, and we don't know when he'll be back. But I won't just give up hope. I'll continue waiting for him, however long it takes!**_

** Max waved towards Ash for the longest out of the group. When Ash was finally out of sight, he reached for the Premiere Ball on his belt and looked at it with a soft yet unceasing gaze. **_**We'll make you proud, Ash. Torchic and I will become strong, as strong as you are! I promise!**_

**End Flashback**

Though the memory of betrayal still flared inside of his brain, the thought of his mother and real friends cooled it somewhat. Ash smiled; how were they all doing? Were they successful? Gary was probably a real Professor by now, May was hopefully a Top Coordinator, and Max was most likely a powerful Trainer.

**"Master," **interrupted a voice. **"Alakazam is back, and it looks like she has some interesting news."**

"Really?" asked Ash. "What's it about? And stop calling me Master!" Pikachu laughed; this was the sixth year in a row that Ash had asked for him to stop calling him Master.

**"No," **a Lucario remarked cheekily as he stepped out of the cave. Lucario was the same Riolu that Ash had rescued in Sinnoh. Ever since the day when Ash saved him from J, Riolu had constantly thought about the kind Trainer who protected him from the nasty hunters. The thought of the hunters still made him shiver a little, though he knew he had nothing to fear from them anymore.

Riolu was training in a forest when he heard the sound of footsteps. He prepared to run, in case it was a threat. It wasn't a threat; instead, it was Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu. There was something off about them, though. Both of them looked tired and almost defeated, as though they had suffered a massive loss in their lives.

Riolu was horrified to hear that Ash's former friends and Pokemon betrayed him and left him alone. Ash was an entirely selfless soul; he would stick his neck out on the line for anyone who needed help! Why had they done this?

After Pikachu explained why he and his Trainer had been betrayed, Ash said that he was looking for new Pokemon to train for his team and asked if Riolu wanted to join him. The little Fighting-type leapt at the opportunity to repay his friend.

Riolu had trained constantly in the harsh climates of Mt. Silver, never backing down from the challenges. This was what all Riolu wanted, after all; training to become strong. Some even went into mountains alone to achieve this goal. One day, after a particularly brutal sparring match with Sceptile, he started glowing with the light of evolution. When it died down, a Lucario stood where a Riolu had once been.

Today, Lucario was one of Ash's strongest Pokemon, second only to Charizard and Pikachu. He was also acted as a soothing voice whenever Ash felt consumed by the hate and rage from the memories of the betrayal.

**"According to Alakazam, there's a massive interregional tournament coming up next week. It's for all of the Gym Leaders and the top Trainers in the world; a total of 512 different Trainers and even Coordinators. And we've been invited."**

Ash whistled. "Whoa, 512 total in the five regions and we were invited? That's awesome!"

**"Yes, but not particularly surprising. The prize for winning it is being crowned the Kanto Champion and having the opportunity to form his or her own Elite Four. This tournament has not been held in fifty years; that's how often they host it, and the League saves massive amounts of money for it. There will also be other Champions participating; you could say that they're the quality control for the tournament. No one wants an incompetent Trainer who wins by luck as Champion, after all."**

"Sounds good. It'll be a nice opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the world. Are you up for it?" asked Ash.

**"You know that I am, along with everyone else. But here's the thing; all of your former friends were invited."**

Lucario braced himself for the anger he expected to practically swirl from Ash, but he didn't sense any. Instead, all he felt was surprise, further emphasized when the Trainer spoke. "What?"

**"It's true," **replied the Fighting-type. **"Don't ask me how they made it, but they are going to be there. Master, you need to calm yourself. Blind anger won't do you any good."**

Ash nodded in appreciation as he took deep breaths; Lucario had incredible patience with him when it came to his fury over _that day_. "I know. Thanks, Lucario." He smiled and rubbed his starter's back as Pikachu nuzzled against his cheek.

His friend nodded. **"Any time. By the way, your REAL friends Gary, Max and May were all invited as well. You'll get to see them again, along with your mother and Professor Oak."**

Upon hearing this, he brightened considerably. It had been so long since he had seen them, and now he would get to make good on his promise to see them again. Sadly, just revealing himself from the start wouldn't work. He would need to reveal himself when the time was right, to really hammer it into the traitors that they were wrong to betray him.

"Well, I see no reason for us to continue freezing our asses off on this mountain," said Ash. "Let's get ready to go!"

**"All right, then. Everyone else seems really excited about the news too. Especially Charizard and Infernape; those battle-hungry monsters are always hyperactive at the mere mention of a challenge," **Lucario smirked.

Ash laughed; a sound that would have echoed a long distance away had there not been a massive blizzard constantly blasting them. "Of course they are; they're Fire-types. What did you expect?" he teased. Then his expression turned serious. "Come on, let's round up everyone and prepare for our return to the world."

**"Right away, Master." **With that, both Trainer and Pokemon walked into the cave Lucario had stepped out of to announce their departure.

_** A/N: Ten thousand words… TEN THOUSAND FREAKING WORDS! AND THIRTY PAGES! WOW!**_

_**This was easily the longest chapter I've ever written (to the best of my memory). Personally, I also think it's my best. Reading all of those other fics out there and all of the reviews (including the ones you all posted for me) sure helped.**_

_** And it has been ages since I updated. Man… it's been too long. I can't wait to see what you all think of this, though!**_

_** Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~RedAuraGuard, signing out.**_


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